Tom played for Lancaster High School his Junior and Senior years, 1978 and 1979. He played wide receiver and caught a few passes against the Wildcats during the series. His coach was the legendary Joe Foyle, a Great American Rivalry Series Hall of Fame Inductee as well. After high school, Tom attended Buffalo State College and played a year of football. Tom then joined the US Army and served as a Military Peace Officer. Tom returned to Lancaster High School and helped coach wide receivers from 1993-2015 as a volunteer. Tom was a founding member of the WNY Parkinson's Foundation in 1998. To quote Tom, "Excuses are nothing more than stepping stones to failure."